Sunday, August 10, 2008

Nikeheads doing Turtle Proud.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― Dozens of so-called "sneakerheads" camped outside a Center City store, some for days, for the newest "need-to-have" pair of sneakers.

Not just any sneakers, but a pair designed by Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, drummer for The Roots.

Thompson designed the $235 red, green and gold Air Force 1 sneakers as part of the shoe company's 1World collection, which will feature 18 designs over eight months.

The sneakers were released Tuesday. By late Monday morning, 26 people had lined up in a makeshift sidewalk campsite at Philly store Ubiq to get them.

The Nike sneakers, dubbed Air Questo, are the fifth pair to be released in the 1World collection. And while sneakerheads regularly camp out for new releases, Ubiq has never had this many people waiting in line, said store supervisor Kyle Dunn.

It's a bit of a misunderstood hobby, said Eddie Ortiz, who came with his 17-year-old son from the Poconos. The Ortiz duo got there Saturday morning and were first in line.

"People look at you like, 'A pair of sneakers?"' the elder Ortiz said. "But they don't understand, it's a culture."

The limited edition 1World shoes have gone for up to $4,000 on eBay and the 300 or so pairs of Air Questos are expected to sell for big bucks. A couple dozen "hidden" pairs will have a gold toe (instead of red) and will likely be even more prized, Nike spokeswoman Demetria White said.

"When sneakers are something that, when they are a topic of conversation, I feel that is a good sneaker," Thompson said. "I don't believe in a nice looking sneaker or an ugly sneaker, I believe in an effective conversation piece and I think this is a good entry into that world."